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 Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 12:35 pm
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:19 am
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Nictor Sabbat
Nictor watched as Beehemoth started to fly away, a particular anxiety immediately beginning to twist his guts. It was unpleasant, the worry that came with the absence of his lusus, the stiffness and discomfort it afforded him. It was all new, but a feeling he was already starting to adjust to. He wasn't a small, harmless child anymore. Bee couldn't be attached to his hip forever.
Of course, they were no less affectionate, no less close, no less two halves of the same strange whole that was Beehemoth and Nictor. It was different but they were both adjusting well to their change in dynamic. Nictor was finally hitting an age where he was no longer considered a child and after a growth spurt, he didn't much look a child either. It was time for Nictor to really start to take responsibility for himself. He'd been trying real hard too.
Something of note though was Nictor's reaction to danger, and that was always, always, flee first. He only ever froze when he couldn't flee, when his body or mind was too locked up to send or receive the signal. Running was his chosen method to deal with adversity, and when that wasn't an option, yield. Yield yield yield.
See, the problem here is that first off, freezing? Does not help. At all. Second, well, you can't always flee or yield. Case in point being when something attacks Bee during a pollen collection. If he flees, he's out his food source and risks not eating. He yields, he dies.
When run and give up aren't your options, what do you do then?
Well, that's what Nictor was here to learn today. Meeting up with a stranger blueblood he ran into once at Bloodfest who had determined Nictor needed help. Yep, he was meeting a strange troll along in the woods to learn how to hit things. That didn't sound suspicious or weird at all, right?
Yeah, no, it's probably fine. Totally. Yep.
Eugh, it was this Toothy guy, one he'd run into and almost spilt soup all over at this past Bloodfest. Nictor had looked been an utter disaster that day, if he recalled right. Most days on Bloodfest he'd gotten soaked with something, whether cocoa or milk or just water. Either way, Nictor had seen him every other day or so during the most recent Bloodfest at his booth and one of them recognized the other eventually. Somehow they'd ended up chatting, which more so consisted of some questions and stilted awkward replies (can you guess which were Nictor's contribution?) and ended with an offer to help Nictor shape up, as it were.
What was Nictor supposed to say, no? To a blueblood? A friendly but bluntly honest blueblood that was offering help?
Nictor genuinely did need the help. Beehemoth had been trying to teach Nictor to fight but, well. Bee coddled him and almost refused to criticize him. All Nictor really got to practice against were wild creatures that attacked them, and the moment Nictor got hit, Bee would haul them both out of there. It was slow going, and they both knew it, so when a seemingly perfect solution was dropped in Nictor's lap, what was he supposed to do but say yes?
Nictor kept watching Bee disappear, wishing the fluffy buzzbeast would come back, maybe stick around for moral support, but Nictor was the one that had insisted. He'd demanded Bee go. Nictor wanted Bee there, oh definitely. The moral support would have done wonders, probably, but Bee would have been too protective, too adverse to Nictor taking hits. Hell, Nictor was pretty adverse to it to, but understood the necessity, despite how everything in him pleaded to just leave and forget all about this.
Nictor didn't want to learn to fight .He didn't want to be dangerous, didn't want to be big, didn't want to know how to use that bigness to his advantage. Trolls did that, of course, but maybe he just really wished he wasn't a troll.
He'd been feeling really, well, off since his growth spurt. He was not used to being big. It was absurd to be one of those trolls he'd looked at and quivered. It was so strange to have big, threatening hands, to loom above others, to have a strength behind his motions that was not there before. Being in a crowd had always seemed so threatening before, but now it was surreal. He accidentally knocked people out of his way and trolls sent him wary looks. It made Nictor all kinds of uneasy.
Bee was out of sight now. The lusus wasn't gone, no, neither troll or guardian had been comfortable enough for that. Bee was giving Nictor and Toothy space though, instead traversing the more flower laden parts of the forest. Far enough not to interfere but close enough to be available.
Nictor had spent a good five minutes staring into the sky, chewing his lip, before he realized how much time he was wasting.
Right. Time to do this.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Nictor walked at a steady, if stiff pace through the forest, towards the twisted upside down tree surrounded by the soft leaves. That's where they'd agreed to meet, and it wasn't far from where Bee had dropped him off. Nictor did his best to just stop thinking as he walked along. If he could clear his head and focus without so much worry, this would probably go better.
"T-toothy?" Nictor called out, stepping into the clearing near the appointed meeting tree.
Gl!tch~// here's a frickin novel to start us off light
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 12:09 pm
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Reemus generally knew better than to get involved much with people outside of the rebellion. Generally. Especially since he was supposed to be keeping a low profile. But this Nictor kid...really, really needed help. And if someone didn't help him learn to take care of himself, well, that wouldn't be good! Kid deserved a chance. Reemus had been there once. So he'd help the main way he knew how.
With fists! Everyone should have a chance at that.
He just had to...not get his blood revealed at all. That was possible, right? He tried not to think about it too much.
Instead, he focused on being chuffed that Nictor was okay with it to start. And it wasn't like Reemus was going to beat up a marshmallow puff. Nictor had gotten big, though still seemed to be rather nervous. How did that even work? Mysteries...
He had waited for the kid, sitting on a log somewhere, and tilted his head as he heard his disguise name. Ah, yes, the kid was here! Good! The older teen got up and brushed off his knees. It's what a highblood would do, right?
He ambled into view. "G'day," he greeted with a wave. "So. You ever spar before?"
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 5:48 pm
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Nictor startled at the greeting, which, honestly, was completely ridiculous.
He knew the blueblood was meeting him here, he was expecting him, there was no point to being so jumpy.
Except yes there could be, there could be so many reasons to be nervous about meeting a seemingly nice blueblood in the middle of the forest along with the express purpose of learning how to properly throw a punch. It was a perfect excuse for things to get out of hand. a lowblood and highblood alone in a forest with no witnesses, the highblood could say whatever he wanted if things went south.
Nictor sighed at his own thoughts. He wanted to give Toothy the benefit of the doubt. The blueblood had been very forward and seemingly nice each time Nictor had spoken to him, and Nictor was trying to look on trolls in a better light. Just, it was hard with insidious little whispers of doom tickling at the edge of his hearing.
Of course, the reason for Nictor being here certifiably wasn't helping him keep calm.
Oh man, and there it was. Sparring.
"I, uhhh, h-hi," Nictor started, realizing a little belatedly that staring like a dazed idiot was not helping. Even if he wanted to stall this particular interaction for maybe forever, that was not going to fly. This blueblood took time out of his important highblood life to come take care of this wuss of a yellowblood. Nictor would not give Toothy any reason to not want to help him if he could help it. Even if Toothy's reasons weren't entirely altruistic. Wetting his suddenly dry mouth, Nicotr tried again, this time to address the matter at hand.
"Uhm, I, ah, n-not rea---lly?" Nictor offered, voice pitching up in question.
He wasn't sure, but he didn't think what he and Bee had attempted really counted as sparring, so he didn't think he was lying. His fingers twitched nervously against his legs as he eyes his soon to be opponent and wow that was an anxiety inducing thought.
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Taki-di rolled 2 6-sided dice:
2, 3
Total: 5 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:32 pm
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HP: 20/20
Damage: 0
Trinkets/Artifacts: Military Grade Weapon (2d6 + 1)
Adept Artifact Defense A (style A -3 damage taken, 4x per battle) 4/4
Oh. Nictor's breath caught. Oh okay they were just gonna get right to it then it seemed.
It was like his entire being stuttered for a second, staring at the tinted lenses covering the other's eyes. An impersonal shield between them, marking the stark separation of the two. Toothy was so casual and confident about the whole thing and Nictor was not. He didn't want to be casual about violence like this, couldn't bring himself to think it such a small thing.
The first breath after that was harsh and nervous and Nictor's face did nothing to hid his insecurity. Wide eyes, furrowed eyebrows, and lips being bitten so hard they were about to bleed. Everything Toothy just said filled him with dread but what was he supposed to do? The blueblood had all but ordered him to start this off and he was so nice about it which made Nictor feel bad about being so suspicious and nervous.
Clumsy hands fumbled with something from his belt, nearly dropping the thing and fumbling for the object before it could truly fall. As Nictor grasped at the thing though, he accidentally pressed the button and it extended with a kashunk and barely missed his kneecap.
The yellowblood winced at his own clumsiness, wishing he could just turn around and leave because this was not going to end well, but it was far too late to cop out.
Taking a second to center himself and hope this didn't end in absolute disaster, Nictor took rushed forward with a stilted step and swung.
And missed, swinging too early and stumbling with a yelp, Nictor showed Toothy what he could do. And that was fail miserably and put himself directly into firing range because now the blueblood was far too close for comfort and the threat of impending pain was bearing down on Nictor and oh man this was a terrible idea.
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Gl!tch~ rolled 2 6-sided dice:
2, 3
Total: 5 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:39 pm
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Taki-di rolled 2 6-sided dice:
6, 6
Total: 12 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:40 pm
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HP: 20/20
Damage: 6+1=7
Trinkets/Artifacts: Military Grade Weapon (2d6 + 1)
Adept Artifact Defense A (style A -3 damage taken, 4x per battle) 4/4
With that spectacular miss, Nictor was expected a brutal punishment, but then came nothing and he stumbled right by. Even when nothing happened though, the familiar weight of panic was thick in his chest and clogging his throat. he feeling was familiar, and old and unwanted companion.
He thought about quitting. After that horrible of a start, he wanted to just quit.
He wasn't cut out for this, obviously. And in all honesty, he didn't want to.
Maybe he could get away with not knowing? Stay at home with Bee and make honey and maybe have Koko visit and everyone can be happy.
This was just a waste of the blueblood's time and Nictor was about to say so,
to relieve Toothy of the burden of his temporary pupil but then toothy yelled at him.
Nictor was still standing fairly close and the order cracked the air like a stone splitting a skull and Nictor reacted.
Nictor may not be particularly practiced at using his strength but damn it all if the full force of it wasn't behind that swing as he about faced and swung right at Toothy's middle, eyes wide in panic.
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Gl!tch~ rolled 2 6-sided dice:
5, 4
Total: 9 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:42 pm
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Taki-di rolled 2 6-sided dice:
3, 1
Total: 4 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:44 pm
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HP: 18/20 (USE ADEPT ARTIFACT)
Damage: 1+1=2
Trinkets/Artifacts: Military Grade Weapon (2d6 + 1)
Adept Artifact Defense A (style A -3 damage taken, 4x per battle) 3/4
Nictor couldn't believe it.
He'd actually hit Toothy. He had actually struck someone with the intention to hit them. Like, he'd accidentally knocked people around before, bumping into trolls in crowds and such but he'd never actually gone at someone with the intention to do this, never swung first. He'd even had to fight Kolako but she'd made him, she'd given him no choice, it'd been sloppy and desperate and he didn't feel any better about it than he did this.
He felt sick.
Nictor's face crumpled in regret and panic because he must have hit hard to double over someone like Toothy because heel the guy was build like a friggin' tank. He didn't mean to do that, even if that's exactly what he was supposed to do. But he didn't want to, he didn't, and some insistent part of him was demanding he explain himself right now.
Except then Toothy was proud of him? His excuse dies immediately with a strangled noise, staring helplessly at the blueblood. The moment of distraction nearly cost him though as a fist was suddenly coming right at him and holy hell. Nictor jerked, his arm barely coming up to guard against the hit and his arm buckled when he didn't put enough strength behind the block,
making him still have to duck.
There was no time to think now. no time to ponder and panic and think himself in circles. He had to react and whether he liked it or not, flight and freeze were not on the table.
Fight it was. Nictor grabbed his staff with both hands again quickly and took at a swipe at the blueblood's legs, belated wondering how this thin metal pole was supposed to fell a sturdy and grounded troll like Toothy.
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Gl!tch~ rolled 2 6-sided dice:
3, 5
Total: 8 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:46 pm
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Taki-di rolled 2 6-sided dice:
2, 2
Total: 4 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:50 pm
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Gl!tch~ rolled 2 6-sided dice:
3, 5
Total: 8 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:52 pm
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Taki-di rolled 2 6-sided dice:
3, 3
Total: 6 (2-12)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:54 pm
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HP: 12/20 (USE ADEPT ARTIFACT)
Damage: 3+1=4
Trinkets/Artifacts: Military Grade Weapon (2d6 + 1)
Adept Artifact Defense A (style A -3 damage taken, 4x per battle) 1/4
Of course. Of course desperate and unfocused scrambling did nothing but how do you focus when the blueblood who offered to try and teach you to fight is gripping you by the shirt collar and is growling down at you. No no no, oh no, it was all going bad.
Nictor 's arms were achy from blocking the heavy punches and the next one did him no favors, the vibrations from spiked metal knuckles slamming into the arm guards rattling his bones. It ached in his arms and shoulders and the angle was awkward and he wasn't sure he could deal with a third blow like that without hurting his arm real bad.
Nictor was breathing hard, keening slightly with each exhale and his brain had kind of checked out of the realm of critical thought, which was probably a blessing here because it was the only thing keeping him from going in mental circled on how he was gonna die here.
Desperate and panicked and ready to do something, Nictor twisted, dropping all of his weight to try and get free, and if his shirt ripped in the process,
well, he could get more. He didn't really care if Toothy was still holding him or not, all he cared about was that he's gotten low enough to the ground to grab his staff again and he rammed it at the blueblood as hard as he could from the awkward, too close angle.
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Gl!tch~ rolled 4 6-sided dice:
4, 5, 2, 1
Total: 12 (4-24)
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 7:03 pm
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